First Wins and a Birthday celebrated in Ontario Truck
Driving School Retro Race T Shirt Night

May 13th’s Rained out
Impact Promotions Night finally finished and for two drivers -
it was well worth the wait til Saturday June 17t.

With a slogan of Your Career Starts Here, for some on Ontario
Truck Driving School Night - the saying Your Season Starts Here
couldn't be any truer.

Greg Panunte of Port Colborne and
Chris Storm of St. Catharines took home the rain-delayed
Features – both drivers making their first visits to Victory
Lane in 2017. The lineup of first time winners continued right
through the night almost through each Bobcat of Hamilton Weekly
Racing Series Division.

Jim Lampman, (Caistor Centre), Kyle
Rothwell (Welland) Chris Watson, (Niagara Falls), and Erick
Rudolph of Ransomville also won for the first time of the season
in the Hoosier Stock, Central Fabricating & Welding 4 Cylinder,
Wood Motor Company Modified Lite and Pinty’s Delicious Foods 358
Modified Divisions.

St. Catharines drivers Cody McPherson
and Brandon Gruhl both took home their second wins of the season
in the S&W Service Centre Sportsman and Novice Sportsman
Divisions.

The rain delayed features were so
early in the evening that co-announcer Travis Cunningham hadn’t
had a chance to make a Birthday Announcement from his wife Ticia
and kids but instead read it to Greg Panunte in Victory Lane
after the 35 lap Pinty’s Delicious Foods Modified Feature.

“I haven’t won a Modified Feature
since the 90’s,” said Panunte who was celebrating his 45th
Birthday June 17th and retuning to the division as
team-mate to Larry Lampman Jr in Andrew Sittler-owned race cars,
“this one’s for my Dad … Happy Father’s Day to him and it’s for
Andrew’s Dad Harry who we lost back in March … it’s great to
have the 37 back in Victory Lane!”

Scott Wood who was named the Archer
Truck Centres Driver of the Week after winning his first Feature
of the season last week was first to lead but with just one lap
complete - Panunte was the new leader.

The field was slowed for the only time
on lap 15 with Panunte back on top. Just past the half-way point
he’d began to pull away from quite a battle between front
runners Wood, Mike Bowman, Tyler Willard and others.

Wood regained second spot on lap 28
almost a ¼ lap behind Panunte but couldn’t get much closer at
the finish.

Panunte and Wood were followed by
Bowman, Erick Rudolph and Willard.

“I’m super excited to finally be
here,” said Chris Storrn after parking his uncharacteristic
plain looking car in Victory Lane for the first time in his
career, “We’ve had some trouble with the graphics … I’ve still
got a duct tape number but there are some people on it I’ve got
to thank – especially St. Amand Auto & Truck Repair and Bob St.
Amand.”

Adam Leslie was first to lead the 25
lap Sportsman Feature with Storm taking control the first time
down the backstretch. Almost as soon as Storm took control, the
race was slowed after Jay Mallory slowed with a flat tire.

Storm would have to weather a few more
restarts in the early stages but before a lap 9 caution after
initial leader Leslie slowed had a 5 car lead.

By halfway, Storm had some veterans
closing in – James Friesen, Cody McPherson and Brent Begolo.
Down the front stretch of lap 17, McPherson was now in the
runner up spot with Begolo quickly taking third spot.

With 5 laps to go, Storm was a couple
car lengths ahead of the field with McPherson and Begolo closing
in the final laps.

At the finish, Storm, McPherson and
Begolo were followed by Mallory who had a strong run to the
front after the early race flat tire and Friesen.

“The high groove was the only way
tonight,” said Jim Lampman after his first Hoosier Stock win of
the season that he dedicated to his uncle Alex who passed away
Friday Evening, “his friendship, guidance and support kept me
going in the early years. He was the one that wanted us to paint
the car orange … and we have kept it that colour ever since in
his honour!”

Tanner Podwinski set the pace at the
start of the 20 lap Event with Billy Bleich Jr. and Lampman
quick to challenge for top spot. Before one lap was complete,
caution would slow the field with Bleich in control on the
restart.

Lampman would become the new leader
the next time down the back stretch but was quickly slowed once
again on lap 4.

Racing to the half-way point,
defending champion and multi-time 2017 Winner Dave Bailey would
land in the runner up spot with Rob Murray in third. The top 3
had pulled away from the rest of the field.

With 5 laps to go, Lampman began to
pull away and by the checkered flag was some 5 car lengths ahead
of Bailey. Murray, Bleich and James Thompson would close out the
top 5.

“The car was great,” said a relieved
Kyle Rothwell after his start to the season finally found him in
4 Cylinder Victory Lane, “It’s a new motor … a new everything.
Thanks to everyone that has helped me get this thing fixed!”

Trevor Want was first to lead the 15
lap Feature until slowed on lap 2. The restart had Cole Hardy
and Rothwell racing back to the green flag with Rothwell quickly
taking over top spot.

Caution free for the remainder of the
race, Rothwell who took his first win of the season last Sunday
at Humberstone Speedway drove away to a lead of almost half a
straightaway.

Alex Riley made a late race charge to
take second spot as did Jay Moulton for third. Hardy and Tony
Kelly closed out the top 5.

“Steven (Becket) had that race before
the caution,” said Chris Watson after winning his first Wood
Motor Company Modified Lite Feature of the season, “what a race
to the finish between hm, Jeff May and me!”

A caution on lap 9 would slow initial
leader Steven Beckett in the 15 lap Feature for the Wood Motor
Company Modified Lites – taking away his huge lead on the field.

Beckett would have top spot on the
restart until quite a battle between Beckett and Watson would
develop with each driver swapping the lead several times.

Watson would eventually retain top
spot with Beckett challenging ahead of Jeff May and Brent Begolo
who were closing in on the frontrunners. Lap 13 was almost
unlucky for Watson who got a little high in Turn 2 but he was
able to get his momentum back.

Taking the white flag, Watson, May and
Beckett were three wide for the lead with the finishing order
not changing at the checkered flag. Begolo and Tyler Winger
would round out the top 5.

“Late in the race … the car came
alive,” said Pinty’s 358 Modified Feature Winner Erick Rudolph,
“ it took me a little while to find what the car wanted – but
when I found it was perfect.”

That time for Rudolph was on lap 24
just after a lap 23 restart when he took the lead from Ryan
Susice.

Susice began to close in on initial
leader Fred Carleton as the halfway point neared Carleton was
running strong from the drop of the green – opening up a lead of
some 10 cars before being caught by Susice.

Susice would take the lead on lap 17
only to be slowed on lap 22 when Carleton and Larry Lampman Jr
came together. By lap 26, Gary Lindberg was now in the runner up
spot. With three laps to go Rudolph had opened up a 10 car
advantage that he would hold to the checkered flag.

Rudolph and Lindberg were followed by
Mat Williamson, Mike Bowman and Susice.

“The car was real loose at the start,”
said Cody McPherson in Victory Lane for the second time of the
season, “Iater I was catching up … but I didn’t think I had
anything for Justin (Sharp) until the caution.”

Robbie Johnstone was the initial
leader of the regularly scheduled 25 lap Feature for the S&W
Sportsman Division until Justin Sharp became the new leader on
lap 2.

By lap 10, Sharp had opened up a lead
of almost a full straightaway over Johnstone who was holding off
Luke Carleton for the runner up spot. Just as Carleton took over
second, Sharp was coming up on lap traffic.

By lap 15, Carleton had closed in on
the leader with the margin 3 car lengths by lap 20.

The race’s first caution would slow
the field on lap 21.

Sharp resumed the lead on the restart
with McPherson taking second before taking the lead out of Turn
4 to start lap 23.

At the finish, McPherson was followed
by Carleton and Brad Rouse. Sharp and Brent Begolo closed out
the Top 5.

Scot Sonnenberg would lead the 10 lap
Novice Sportsman Feature to the green flag before Brandon Gruhl
took control on lap 2.

One caution would slow the pace on lap
6 with Gruhl back out front on the restart. In the 4 laps to the
finish, Gruhl would run away to almost a full straightaway lead
over

Avondale
Food Stores will present a special Bobcat of Hamilton Weekly
Racing Series Event Saturday June 24th that will
feature Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints.

MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SPONSORS The 2017 66thAnniversary Bobcat of Hamilton Weekly Racing Series for
Merrittville Speedway’s 5 Divisions was brought to race fans and
racers by division sponsors – Pinty’s Delicious Foods, S&W
Service Centre, Hoosier Tire Canada, Wood Motor Company and
Central Fabricating in addition to many marketing partners Visit
them athttp://www.merrittvillespeedway.com/sponsors.htmand visit them when you require their
products and/or services.

Celebrating 15 years of serving the Hamilton, Halton and Niagara
Regions, Bobcat of Hamilton is a leading provider of compact
equipment for a wide variety of markets – striving to empower
customers to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.